New boss Julen Lopetegui wasted no time in putting his own stamp on the West Ham United squad during the summer transfer window, making seven new additions after his appointment.
The Spaniard invested in an array of youth and experience to give him the best possible chance of being a success during his maiden year in charge at the London Stadium.
Crysencio Summerville and Niclas Füllkrug are just two examples of the quality of additions brought into the club during the off-season, with both players providing much-needed depth in the final third.
However, neither player has yet to make a huge impact for the Hammers, both failing to find the back of the net in any of the first five outings in league and cup during the 2024/25 campaign.
Despite the lack of form in front of goal, their signings are an indication of the ambition shown by Lopetegui and the hierarchy as they look to build after the departure of their former boss at the end of last season.
The player Moyes rejected the opportunity to sign
David Moyes will go down in West Ham history during his two separate spells in charge of the Hammers – helping the club achieve the unthinkable during his second tenure in East London.
The Scotsman secured the club the Europa Conference League title back in the 2022/23 campaign – ending their 58-year wait for a major European trophy.
However, he was unable to replicate such form during his final campaign last season, finishing in ninth place and missing out on any European competition – subsequently leaving at the end of the season, as the club targeted a fresh start under Lopetegui.
The fanbase will forever be indebted to the 61-year-old, with Moyes responsible for some of the best days in a generation for many supporters.
Despite his impressive stint at the London Stadium, he may have made a mistake in not purchasing one talent who has gone on to achieve bonkers things just a couple of years after missing out on the youngster.
Speaking on Steven Bartlett’s Diary Of A CEO Podcast, he confirmed that he rejected the opportunity to sign Argentinian striker Julian Alvarez from River Plate in 2021 despite recommendations from his scouting team.
Moyes stated he was a fan of the 24-year-old, but given Michail Antonio’s form at the start of the 2021/22 season, which saw him register four goals and three assists from his first three matches, no move ever materialised:
“I brought in a new scout who says ‘Look, you should go for Alvarez at River Plate’. I watched him and I thought he was a very good technician and done so many good things as a centre-forward.
“But I thought [he’s] maybe not quite the one we want, we had Micky Antonio who had been doing very well and I thought I don’t know.”
Three years on, it looks like a decision that has massively backfired, with Alvarez going on to have a successful career so far despite his tender age.
Julian Alvarez’s market value in 2024
The striker would move to Manchester City in the summer of 2022 for a fee in the region of £14m, going to make 103 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side, scoring on 36 occasions.
The “incredible” 24-year-old, as described by his former boss Guardiola, was part of the club’s treble-winning side of 2022/23, but departed the Etihad during the recent transfer window in the hunt for more frequent first-team minutes.
Alvarez subsequently joined Diego Simeone’s Atlético Madrid for a staggering £82m including add-ons, a deal that saw City bank a remarkable £68m profit on the fee they paid for him just two years prior.
Julian Alvarez
£82m
Raheem Sterling
£50m
Ferran Torres
£47m
Gabriel Jesus
£45m
Leroy Sane
£40m
His transfer is just one piece of excellent business that City have completed in recent times, a major factor in their success in the Premier League which has seen them win four of the last five league titles.
His goalscoring record in England is an example of the quality he could’ve brought to West Ham, with the club missing out on a potential gem.
The recent transfer fee also would’ve banked the Hammers a huge profit, allowing for added investment and breaking a trend of big-money signings who have departed the London Stadium for nothing.
Alvarez would’ve been a stellar addition for the club, however, he will unfortunately forever remain as another player who slipped through the club’s recruitment net.
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